Irēna Lūse

Is a graduate of Riga Applied Art School and the Interiors and Furnishings Department of the Latvian Academy of Art. She became involved in graphic art for children’s books in collaboration with the publishing houses Liesma, Sprīdītis and Vaga. She was production designer for the television animated film studio (Zvirbulēns, 1983). Since 1994 she is art editor of the magazine for young children Ezis, creating the design of the magazine, selecting work by particular artists and collaborating with them. She illustrates fairy-tales and poetry, draws the covers of the magazine and creates thematic and page symbols for each issue, as well as labyrinths, puzzles and other exercises.

Lūse has also received awards and acclaim in the field of book art: in 1982 she received a Diploma First Class in the Children’s Literature Group at the State Exhibition of Publishers, Polygraphy and the Book Trade for her book “What Happens at Night” (Kas notiek naktī. R.: Liesma, 1982), in 1983 she won second prize in a comics competition held by the publishers Liesma for her visualisation of the plot of “Events with Chairs” (Notikumi ar krēsliem. A. Jakubāns. R.: Liesma, 1986) and in 1993 she won the main prize in the children’s picture book competition held by the publishers Sprīdītis for the book “Pictures for My Little One” (Bildes manam mazulim. R.: Sprīdītis, 1993). In 2008 the book “Round, Yellow and Big” (Apaļš, dzeltens, liels) by M. Cielēna was selected for publication in a competition held by the publishers Zvaigzne ABC. Two publications illustrated by I. Lūse were nominated for the 2009 Jānis Baltvilks Prize: “Theo and Mumite: stories” by M. Cielēna (Teo un Mūmīte: pasakas. R.: SIA Lietusdārzs, 2008) and the calendar of poems for 2009 “Adventures of Princesses” by I. Zandere (Princešu piedzīvojumi. R.: liels un mazs, 2008). The latter work was also nominated in the book art competition Zelta ābele 2008. This collection of poems, describing the exciting life of little girls who feel like princesses was extended and re-published in 2010 (I. Zandere. Princešu piedzīvojumi. R.: liels un mazs, 2010).

It’s enjoyable both ways: whether the word comes before the drawing, or the other way round, when the drawing comes into being before the written word. (Irēna Lūse)